There are currently many systems that operate under direct current (DC) power, and many additional systems that operate under alternating current (AC) power that may be converted to operate under DC power due to benefits in cost, voltage regulation tolerances and energy efficiency.
For example, power provided to processing tools for flat-panel processing and semiconductor processing may be distributed by DC systems. In addition, power distribution for data centers (e.g., server farms), commercial buildings and military applications may be best suited to DC power distribution.
Power, however, is typically distributed by utilities at AC voltages that requires high power conversion from AC to DC voltages. Most commonly, service entrance voltages provided by utilities are 480, 400, and 380 voltages for North America, Europe and Asia, respectively. But the DC voltages that are typically utilized are not easily and/or efficiently derived from these AC voltages. To arrive at a usable DC voltage, for example, the source AC voltage is typically converted to the desired DC voltage by stepping the AC voltage down with a transformer prior to rectification or using a two-stage conversion process. Both of these solutions, however, are expensive and lossy. Accordingly, a system and method are needed to address the shortfalls of present technology and to provide other new and innovative features.